* Last shot of the teaser: the head of Gustavo Fring, considering Gale’s words.

* Gus’ enforcer, Mike The Ex-Cop, remains a major player this season, as does “Better Call” Saul Goodman.

* Skylar this week takes a long walk.

* From his sickbed, Hank has taken on a strange new hobby.

* “That’s right, genius. Watch me.”

* Saul’s silent sidekick is a swell new addition.

* The scene above begins about 17 minutes in.

* Gus returns almost 28 minutes in. His scene lasts 10 minutes and is destined to prove one of the series’ most memorable. When it’s over? Think back, if you will, to how upset Walter White was when a single fly “contaminated” his lab.

I FUCKING LOVE IT.
Thanks to amc re-airing the entire series (twice) over the last year I'm now caught up and hooked.
Also, now that Andre Braugher is unfortunately a free agent again, I really hope Gilligan snatches him up. He'd be awesome in something like this.

...we're both HUGE fans, and unlike some shows, we were hooked by episode 2 (of season 1).
So many things in motion, with so many terrible consequences. I believe Gilligan said something to the effect "It's following the same downward spiral as Scarface ... and you know how that ended ..."
I'm thrilled Cranston was give this opportunity. Funny, when I first read about it before it premiered I was thinking "Malcom's Dad?"

You know, since we're having our own private little circle jerk :D Andre Braugher is +fantastic+.
Never tuned into Men of a Certain Age (just not my thing ... even though I'm the target age demo I suppose), but the man needs to be working, he's a terrific talent (we were just recently watching The Mist).

Season 2 was simply just riveting stuff. Season 3 was great, but didn't have me quite as hooked ...
...although the episode cliffhanger with Hank was one of the best scenes I've seen in ages.
I'm sure this season will have plenty more in store :D

i totally agree with you about andre braugher. he is a terrific actor and he was so suave and sophisticated as frank pembleton on HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET. the show could use another intelligent african-american actor to rival giancarlo esposito's gus. idris elba would be another excellent choice. now his portrayal of stringer bell was one of the greatest things on television. i almost cried when he was executed by brother mouzone and omar at the end of seaon 3. just to lose such a great character was a shock

Hank is my favorite character. That cliffhanger with him in the parking lot, even though you knew it was coming at some point, was tense and riveting. My other favorite scene was Tortuga's head on the tortoise. Classic.

It'd have to be the aforementioned parking lot shootout from "One Minute." Brilliant, riveting stuff. But, like most great shows, "Breaking Bad" isn't just a collection of awesome, loosely strung-together scenes. It's really all about the series/season as a whole.
Oh, and it's the best show on TV. I used to qualify that with "by far," but "Game of Thrones" is nipping at its heels. Can't wait for this new season. As much as I love it, though, I hope they end it after either this season or the next. I've pretty much made up my mind that most great series should end after about four season -- five at the max.

Damn, there's so many...</p>
</p>
The bathtub scene through the ceiling scene from S1. </p>
Hank making the explosive crystal and throwing it down in Tuco's office.
</p>
Tuco's Dad and his little bell.
</p>
The aforementioned Hank vs The Mexicans in the parking lot.</p>
</p>
Walt running down the dealers to save Jessie, before putting a cap in them (That was a "Fuck yeah! moment).</p>
</p>
Marie getting Hank out of hospital.</p>
</p>
Love this show.

Herc I noticed that during the final episode of last season! At least Gale read some really cool King stories before he got shot in the face.
I have to agree with all of you that the last 5 minutes of "One Minute" were just insane. I also like the end of "Half Measure"
Run.

Well said, toe jam. I'm with you on Game of Thrones. Just started watching S1 for the second time. I'm reading thru the books now, and have learned the best way to watch it (for me at least) is to watch the series, read the book, watch the series again (once you know all of the details, are familiar with the characters, etc). It's just so fun to soak in all of the scenes and interaction between the characters.
I had forgotten about the bath tub scene. Another one of my favorites was the "bell" scene with Tuco and his gramps. Mainly because you know that Tuco is batsh!t crazy and could do anything at any second.
I thought the whole "flash-foward to the airplane scene wreckage" in S2 was extremely well done, too. Left you just slightly less in the dark each episode.

When Walt was in the hardware store and spots the guys buying the makings for meth "Stay out of my territory." To me it was one of the benchmarks on his way to becoming more Heisenberg than Walter White.

In the season 3 episode "Sunset" when Hank has Walt and Jesse trapped in their RV, and Walt has to threaten Hank with a lie about Marie being in danger to escape was the most intense scene I've ever seen on a TV show.
And to me, the season 2 episode "4 Days Out" is just a beautiful, unique episode. The whole time they're in the RV cooking together, I love everything about how they interact, facing certain death but also some of the best humor in the whole series. To me, the most epic episode of the whole series. And as far as Breaking Bad bottle episodes go, way better than "Fly."
There isn't a single bad or wasted scene in the entire series though, so picking favorite ones is kind of pointless anyway. They're all amazing.

ends with wait in a shirt and underwear pointing a gun at the road with sirens in the background. just great. i have been going crazy this last month getting pumped about this. this next 24 hours is gonna be the worst.
also the scene where tucos uncle holds one of the cousins head underwater and asks the other "Is this what you want?"

Actually, we learned that in SEASON 3 during the episode where Fring came to Gale's house to talk to him about replacing Walter. There was a shot of the book while he was cooking and before there was a knock at the door. I know cos I just watched Season 3 on DVD last week.
I'm just sayin'...

And maybe the 5th season will have 6 more episodes (13 + 6) because the first season only had 7 due to the Writer's Guild strike.
Ultimately, I think it has to end with Walter's cancer returning and him dying. I kind of envision the final episodes of the last season would be set in a Mexican border town and dramatize the lawlessness of the cartels, and how Walter and Jesse get into the jam of it all. (And I could see Walter and Jesse forcibly taking over Gus' operation this season.)

I had never seen a single episode of Breaking Bad even though I had only heard great things about it...thanks to AMC replaying the entire series, I DVR'd all the episodes and watched them this past week so that it would be fresh in my mind going into the Season 4 premiere...this is also the first AMC show which actually has amazing HD quality...all other AMC shows look terrible in HD...but the cinematography on BB is unreal...the DD 5.1 audio quality is also great during action heavy scenes such as the Tuco shootout and Hank vs the Cousins...bullets just explode in the room and the bass is room shaking

all in yellow with walt looking badass. i heard in a interview where gilligan said that next season would be the last unless something convinces him to change his mind so at least we have one more to look forward too. my favorite ep is season 1 ep 6. the beginning walt is walking away to his car and everything is all fucked up behind him lol then at the end he blows up tucos office. thats when walt turned badass for me. as crazy as tuco was in that scene even he is a little afraid of walt

It's hard to pick a favorite.
But since One Minute is an obvious standout, it should be noted that it had a lot of great scenes, and not just the more obvious ones like the shootout.
The quieter ones in the office, and with Marie in the elevator, and finally their bedroom when Hank confesses his demons were just as good.
If it weren't for the eligibility issues, that episode would have been a lock for Dean Norris' Emmy submission.
Also, good call on the Wendy montage. And who could forget the tortoise?

Cranstons character arc has been something of a real gem. A very real take of a man who went from prey and is transitioning into predator. Cant wait to see what happens when Hank eventually finds out about him.

I. AM. THERE. DUDE!
Been getting most of my Walking Dead Season 2 Spoit from GoogleNews. Trying to stay spoiler free.
Saw some yellow movie crew signs near me. Thought they was filming some WD, turned out to be American Pie 4 :(
Cant wait for Tober man. Looking forward to the dedicated watch and talk threads related to each episode.

That's the only "what if" I haven't seen the show play out. What if someone close to Walt experiments with meth, unknowingly trying Walt's product? What if it's Walt jr. Other than the divorce, Walt Jr hasn't really been affected by Walts meth production like Skyler and Hank have.
I wonder if the writers will avoid Walts cancer returning (since we're all predicting it already) and have Walt become a meth head instead.
My other theories for Season 4:
Hank will find out it's Walt by the end of the season, setting up Season 5.
Walt will take over Gus' meth/chicken business.
I will say goodbye to cable once the show is over since it's the only thing keeping me paying for it. Okay maybe that's a season 5 prediction.

It's been a long ass year without it, The slow burn progression from Walt to Heisenberg is staggering both for the look of Cranston and his acting prowess. Another Emmy next year for sure, and hopefully a best Drama win as well. So stoked for tonight.

I agree brother, that ad has sent me away a million times since it started. It takes like 2 solid minutes for the site to load because of that ad. Nothing is viewable when it is loading. At least that is how it is with my PC and Firefox.

I need to root for someone, and I love Jesse, but if you steal his innocence completely what do we have? Are we supposed to bask in the nihilism of the show and say, Yeah, yeah. Fuck, this absolutely blackness is the BEST. Galligan and his BB pals keep defending his detractors who say its dark for dark sake. Its natural. Well, fuck that. If it were natural, we would not want to hang around these awful, yet obviously fascinating people. Why would we do it on a TV show? I love the show and particularly Jesse. I don't want Walt and Jesse to be redeemed. I just want them to be likable. And not completely evil. Maybe I'm just too old fashioned, but I appreciate heart.

I don't think Breaking Bad is the show you want it to be. The entire point of the show is to depict a good man's downward spiral into darkness. Bringing Jesse with him is an integral part of Walt's descent, IMHO.

Breaking Bad is always many things at once--it's never completely dark and evil, even when Walt and Jesse do very bad things. The creators of the show still finds a way to make things funny and light every once in a while, as I'm sure you're aware if you're a fan of the show. No matter how close to Scarface Walt gets, the show will still be entertaining and have its positive elements in it.

So you'd rather just have Walt dragged down into the lab and shot by Mike?
Jesse did it to save Walt...he clearly didn't want to.
Gale's dead, no question. I didn't even realize people even questioned whether Jesse actually shot him until I read the reactions last year.

breaking bad is about the nature of the beast.
can a good man go to all these dark places and still retain some amount of humanity? walt is NOT nino brown from NEW JACK CITY. he is not the devil, but he isn't always going to wear the white hat either

Gus just got his hands dirty and creeped me the fuck out. God, what a good show. When is the last time you saw dramatic tension built like that in a film, let alone a cable tv series for god's sake. 5 minutes of nothing but a guy getting undressed and dressed and that wicked thing in between. Fuck me blind, but this thing is special.

She certainly looks like she gained some baby fat in her belly and butt, just like she recently popped one out. Or maybe she's preggies now? Either way, she's put on some pounds. Not that there is anything wrong with that (especially if she was is/was having a baby).

is thinking about his own mortality now. the look on his face when gus killed his best hitman
and also mikes friend was a look of total shock and surprise, but also fear of what this maniac will do next

He was in tears when he was about to shoot Gail and by the end of the episode he almost seemed unphased by the whole outcome.
Does anyone think Jesse will end up dead by the end of the season? Something about his last scene made me think he might go up against Gus.

by the fact that they didn't explicitly reveal Gus's motivations for killing Victor. But at the same time, I'm impressed as hell that they left it so ambiguous (was it cause he was at the crime scene? Or because he decided to cook on his own without approval? Was it just to send a message to Walt and Jesse? All of the above?)
This show fucking rules.

I think for Walt to guarantee permanent financial security for his family, season 4 will show him taking the final step up to super meth lord, usurping Gus in the process. Chicken man vs. car wash man.

Aaron Paul is doing an incredible job with Jesse. He has become a very good actor. The looks on his face at various times in this episode were practically screaming at you. Like when it really seemed like he liked watching what Gus was doing to Victor. Crazy.
Someone mentioned Walt and Jesse moving in and taking Gus' business from him. Anything is possible. But, I'm guessing the season will be about dealing with Jesse possibly having a psychotic break, and Walt trying to set Gus up to have the Mexican Cartels take Gus out and then Walt goes to work for the Cartel. They already touched on it last season that the conflict between Gus and the Cartel was beginning to get difficult. Having them take Gus out seems like the only way Walt and Jesse can survive without running.

When Mike was talking to Victor about what happened at Gale's house it was clear that people seeing Victor was a problem. Then he called Gus... The moment Victor said people saw him you knew that Careful Gustavo would not leave even a possibility of connecting him to the crime.

Gus killed Victor cuz
a. He was seen at the scene man
b. To show Walt who the fucking boss was, and just how horribly Walt was going to die. Victor was loyal and died like a fucking cow she bitch.
Whole season is going to be Walter realizing that he is just as evil as Gus is, and accepting it--even embracing it.

July 18, 2011, 4:14 a.m. CST

by splendidham

I thought Victor got the can because he admitted to Mike that he was seen at Gus's residence? Not for his cooking prowess.

No, Breaking Bad is much better thought out than The Dark Knight, and it also doesn't beat you over the head with its thematic arcs.
Also, the use of quotes on AICN is really fucked, and makes the site almost unusable. Embarrassing. If the talkbacks dwindle, I'd stop coming to this site altogether. I already come far less than before. Terrible HTML coding.

i think jesse acting totally different at dennys just a cover up. i think hes still in shock and trying to deal with. i think hes completely falling apart. the look of concern on walts face when jesse suddenly started acting normal at dennys leads me to think this. also loved their matching pants and kenny rogers tshirts hahaha

...that you didn't like Breaking Bad or the amazing tense box cutter scene or that you don't know how to post on the internet or that you ramble incoherently over and over again.
Like good ambiguous TV, the reason sometimes doesn't matter, only the end result: you are a moron.

Please do not ruin future talkbacks for Breaking Bad. I and many others love this show and come here to read and sometimes participate in a good discussion of each episode. We do not want the talkback ruined by repetitive posts. Post your point once, and respond if appropriate. Don't post the same thing thirty times. Be a healthy, normal person.

One more thing. The writers EARNED that scene. Walt had made a serious miscalculation. He finally thought he was working with someone who wasn't a stone cold killer like Tuco. Up until that point in the series, everything about Gus that had been shown was that he was very much like Walt. Just a very smart man, trying to make the best deals possible. Had others do his dirty work for him. Could perhaps even be manipulated. No way did Walt (or us) know until that moment, that he would go full metal peckinpah.

...what the hell is the REST of film and TV? Newsflash: EVERYTHING IS CONTRIVED NOW, to a certain extent. Has Viggeo been spending hours on TVTropes, thinking that whenever he notices something from that site in a show or movie, said show or movie is automatically terrible? There is nothing new under the sun, as they say, and there likely never will be...and if you can't enjoy a show that presents "the same old shit" in such an entertaining and, yes, original manner, then I feel pretty sorry for you.

Comfort food--24 hours a day. Appropriate after every occasion.
Well played by the cast; the sparsity of dialogue meant the players had to convey their characters without a word well into the episode.
I will resist being microanalytic like some who purport to know better, but I think this episode accomplished what it was supposed to--reestablish yet again the shaky grounds of Walt's and Gus' relationship in the aftermath of a significant, and likely repercussive event, and allow them time to suss out their next moves in the context of their historically mistrustful, but still mutually-beneficial relationship.
It's episode one of the season, not twelve, so it's not time for fireworks yet.
Good to see Esposito, Odekirk, and Banks are now apparently regulars.
Thank you Dennys and FedEx.

Even IF AICN or your computer fucked up your posts, just say "oh well, I don't like the show anyway so I won't waste my time trying to post OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER about how much I hate it, even though I've never seen an episode until now."
30 fucking posts about how much you hate a show you've only seen once? That's going a little out of the way to show what a jizz sock you are.

The attack itself was surprisingly vicious, but I spent the whole buildup thinking, He's going to kill Victor but I can't figure out why. In retrospect, being seen at Gale's is probably the most likely reason. They did play that up earlier with Mike. No, the memorable part of the whole thing was the swirling contents of the sealed barrel. THAT was classic Breaking Bad.

What a dry useless cunt. I don't expect everyone in the world to have the same taste in movies, music, and television, but fuck off if you have to run your mouth about how your opinion is better than another person's opinion. Especially 30 fucking times in a talkback.

The boxcutter scene didn't do it for me, though it was well done. The scene's after for me were far better... the awkwardness of dealing with the body, the half corpse disintegrated in the barrel, the scene between jesse and walt at the diner afterwards and how they are dealing with what happened... those were the parts I liked most. That and I like to see that Bob Odenkirk found a way to make his character turn even MORE into a super sleazy lawyer. You could almost see the slime emanating from his pores.

1. Victor was seen by others at Gale's apt. This alone probably sealed his fate (see above)
2. To reinforce the fact that he's a stone cold killer who will end you if it becomes convenient to do so.
3. He's fucking pissed off about the whole debacle.

Did you see his face after Gus killed Victor? Something changed there; he went from lost and miserable at having had to kill Gail to I don't know what. For a second there I actually thought he was going to attack Gus. <p>
I don't know, I think the combined effect of effectively being forced to kill someone who really didn't deserve to die to watching Gus slash Victor's throat fractured something in his brain. He went from a near catatonic state after offing Gail (couldn't even drive away from the scene, didn't say a word til after Gus did his thing) to acting almost jovial at Denny's. <p>
Also, I couldn't tell what Jesse said to Walt at the diner. Rewound it twice and still couldn't quite make it out. Can anyone fill me in?

It was HOW it all went down that caused the tension. We knew he wasnt gonna kill walt or Jesse. And there was no point in killing Mike. Victor was the odd man out, just a matter of how and when hed meet his maker.
Not every climactic moment has to be totally unpredictable, and the last thing this show needs is to start using a "twist of the week" so that certain viewers can be suitably shocked.

As soon as Victor started cooking I knew he was a goner. I was thinking at first he might be killed for not shooting Jesse, but that would be too predictable.
I definitely didnt see Gus killing him. The way he did it with no emotion was just amazing.

The woman is one of the most horrible, insufferable characters on TV, and it's hard to tell if the creators realize this. Self-righteous, hypocritical, supremely judgmental and physically cold, she's the worst wife since... I dunno, whoever a really bad wife is. That one that cut off her husband's dong, maybe.
That birthday handjob she gave Walter in the pilot was unforgiveable. Please kill Skylar and let Walt hasten his descent (ascent?) into Tony Montana-land. Thank you.

The talkback may not be the best forum to address your issues. Therapy might do the trick.
I was gonna suggest you get yourself laid, but psychoanalysis might be cheaper.
Anna Gunn is universally recognized as a top notch actor, and the character of Skyler is crucial to understanding both Walt and the story as a whole.
In other words, your "opinion" on this matter is a complete non sequitor.
Thanks for playing tho!

You are talking about Lorena Bobbitt back in 1994. At least her hubby got to attach his penis back on after being severed. The crazy moon bat Catherine Becker did the same thing a few days ago and cut her husbands penis off, then threw it in the garbage disposal and flipped the switch to "on". No hope for reattachment.She is what the death penalty was created for.

Is that it was tense even if you knew nothing serious could happen to Walt, Jesse or even Cleaner Mike(cause he was in the season promo picture). For a moment I thought Gus wanted to cut Jesse or something, but it became clear pretty fast that Victor was going to get it. Still, I was holding my breath.
And that shot of the barell with Victor's remains(looked like his skull and spine) floating inside...that shit will remain stuck in my head.

His task was to keep tabs on Walt, Jesse, and Gale, and he failed to keep control of the former, and prevent the murder or the latter.
Being exposed at the crime scene sealed his fate.
His role was not as a cook, so he had no value left, except to help set an example for Gus.
Gale, as a professional chemist, made it abundantly clear in the prologue that even he didn't have Walt's skills, so what chances would a flunky henchman/deliveryman have?
I don't know why people would expect something different and then be disappointed not to get it.

I write for an AMC TV show myself, and I don't think my wife and daughter would say I have issues with women. I know a few of the writers on Breaking Bad. The character of Skylar is a horrible bitch, and she's only useful in understanding Walt insofar as understanding how henpecked and emasculated he's allowed himself to become as an adult. The whole pitch line for Breaking Bad was 'Mr. Chips becomes Scarface. Organically.' At some point, Skylar is going to get iced, because it's integral to Walt's devolution into a ruthless Meth kingpin. I'm just asking them to hurry it along.
In other words, your opinion on my opinion was a complete non sequitor! How about that for irony!
Thanks for playing, douche!

I shouldn't be getting into arguments with anonymous mouth-breathers, Dhaveed. If you can't see that Skylar's domestic antagonist is morphing into domestic villain, then I don't know what series you're watching. Do you always hammer legit criticism into gender politics? I also think Lady MacBeth was a bitch. Clearly you should report me to N.O.W.
Ass.

I'll be curious to see just how integral a part she becomes in Walt's burgeoning empire. It seems fairly clear she's gonna be the finance guy, helping to launder the money and whatnot. I just wonder to what extent she'll embrace that role. Right now it's kind of out of necessity, and I don't think she's too thrilled with the idea....

Ted is already cooking the books so that's a much better idea then buying a car wash...plus Skyler is the bookeeper at Ted's company so she could probably do it without Ted knowing about it and if she gets caught she could blame the whole thing on Ted...Walter will be more then happy if Ted goes to jail knowing that he screwed his wife...damn I should be a writer on the show

Great actress. And it's not like she's a bitch for no reason. I think it was the only way to deal with some aspects of Walt's personality. I mean she's been married to a guy of absolute extremes. He's a quiet loser who fails at life or he's the goddamn Heisenberg. She had to be control of the family, and now she's not anymore. I would love to see some more flashbacks about the early days of the marriage. It's a pretty sure bet that Walt's crazy/ruthless side appeared before. That's probably what cost his carreer.

If you haven't watched a full episode how do you know what it has or hasn't "earned"??
Scenes aren't meant to work out of context, you dolt, they're meant to work as part of a whole. And everybody who's watched more than "a couple of scenes" seems to agree that they worked just fine.

I rewatched the season a couple of weeks ago, and never noticed Walt with OCD behavior (cutting and recutting his sandwich crust, "The Fly", of course, etc.) before. Of course, his love of chemistry, the purity of it, illustrates it.

The woman is one of the most horrible, insufferable characters on TV, and it's hard to tell if the creators realize this. Self-righteous, hypocritical, supremely judgmental and physically cold, she's the worst wife since... I dunno, whoever a really bad wife is. That one that cut off her husband's dong, maybe.

And NO ONE CARES THAT YOURE BUDDIES WITH THE WRITER, DOUCHEBAG.
Pathetic even mentioning this, and makes everything you write sound like total BS. I think youre smart enough to know why.
Anyway, if youre really curious about the real significance of the Skyler character, try reading interviews with Gilligan and Ann Gunn. Trust me, they have a very different take on the character. As do most of us.
If you find her annoying, thats totally understandable. But you're going waaaaay beyond that. The (totally boring to anyone but you) question is why?
And, for the record, we dont need to hear your answer.

come across as a real woman, in a real marriage, who's husband starts acting like a real douchebag (from her point of view). You guys expect her to bring him the paper and an iced tea every time she catches him in a lie? Would bet my left nut that all of you asshats who find her annoying and a bitch are all teabagger pieces of shit. Move back to the 50's McFly.

I am one who thinks that Skylar (and Holly) should die at some point. Walt's remark to Gus was "Should anything happen to me . . . or TO JESSE . . . " Not "Me or my family". The idea that Jesse will attempt to kill Gus and fail . . . good one. In a way, he knows he is a dragon, but wants badly to be the knight. I didnt see Vic's murder coming. The way Gus held his head back and the wound open, spraying Walt and Jesse in blood as if to say "Gale's blood is on me?, Vic's is on you.

At first I didn't love 'Box Cutter.' I thought the story was too thin and there was too much filler. But I watched it again and realized after that this show was brilliant in a number of ways.
-At the end of Season 3, Walt and Jesse transformed into completely different, murderous characters. Jesse especially was about to lose everything he knew about himself after killing Gale. And Walt was running high on Heisenberg adrenaline.
-'Box Cutter' dealt with sorting out those new identities, within the framework of that universe. Gus responds to the extreme move Walt makes by showing that he is willing to match body counts all day and it doesn't phase him. Clear power move, really sadistic, shows you the incredible stakes. Raises it to the level of some bad ass, postmodern suburban spaghetti Western.
-The reason the story felt so spare is because it was really trying to set the tone that Walt is a complete, authentic, fucking cowboy. That last scene in his driveway was for me the best in the entire series, and an amazing look into what they have in store with tone and theme for the rest of the season. Walt is a full on fucking outlaw cowboy type, and his wife fully supports it and seems to even get off on it a little bit. Compare this person to who we knew in the series pilot. He's changed SO much, but it's taken place over a short period of time and most of it has been completely believable. Except for an enduring element of the absurd, which was especially manifest in the Denny's scene and when Walt makes that bad ass walk to that contemporary spaghetti western music while wearing the ridiculous clothes.
-As for Jesse, he is in serious need of some kind of identity. He begrudgingly and not totally convincingly took on the 'I'm the bad guy' stance last season, and then all of a sudden had to take on the 'I'm a murderer' identity. Which isn't the same as just being a bad guy. So at first Jesse is totally blank and doesn't know how to react, and then he behaves very strangely after being fucking showered in blood. He's showing cracks at being able to play murder off as unimportant, as Walt seems to be able to do. Walt has the benefit of being much older though, and did not go through these horrible things in his mid-twenties. Jesse knows no other life and is starting to act like a legit murdering psychopath. Which makes sense, because he's been involved in so much mayhem, mostly because of Walt making him.
-Lastly, this episode seemed really dream-like to me, with its heavy imagery and lack of dialogue or plot developments. It's meant to be a sort of shadowy, nightmarish presence that sets the tone and level of intensity for the whole season. You know Walt is going to respond with some crazy, bad ass maneuver.

I agree the killing was horrific -- though not remotely shocking: what was Gus gonna do, kill one of the two stars? -- but most of the episode was a bore.
I too had never seen a whole episode before. I saw a few minutes of the "fly contaminates the lab" one, but it didn't grab me. Still, the rapturous reviews over the last week or so got me interested. I was truly excited to watch this.
But it was a major disappointment. The dialoge was surprisingly flat, the heralded "movie quality cinematography" virtually absent, and many scenes just dull. The Trials and Tribulations of Bedridden Guy had me checking TV Guide wondering what else was on. The wife wandering suburbia, the "How are you doing... no really, how are you doing" scene in Denny's... I was really expecting greatness. I may give this another shot next week, I may not. But I don't care much one way or the other.

I honestly believe that you would not be able to really get into this show without seeing the previous episodes. It's just one of those types of series. Watch the first three seasons and come back and see if that changes your mind about this episode.

How can you jump into a serialized show while skipping the first three seasons, how can you seriously expect to enjoy it? If you start reading a book at page 250 are you going to get out of it what you would if you'd started at the beginning? Obviously not. TV is no different.

BB took the crown after Dexter screwed the pooch last year.
GoT is the best show only to those who have read the book first and were just happy to see it visualized. Everyone else realizes the pacing was way off for a 10 episode season. It was good, but far below HBO's best shows: Rome Deadwood and The Sopranos.

Skylar has been the foil for Walt's evolving, complicated, morally screwed life. She is uncomplicated and clear about right v wrong/black v white. Turn out that's mostly because Skylar has been a little sheltered. The girl can LIE. She's about to fall down the rabbit hole, so you'll prob like her better in a show or two.

I know what you're saying; but I've seen random episodes of other shows I didn't normally watch (Galactica, Lost, Fringe) and been truly impressed at the quality of the storytelling, the filmmaking etc. I wasn't even clear on what was happening or why, but the sheer quality of the material instantly drew me in. Not so last night.
As I said, I may give it another try. But I was expecting something really incredible from The Best Show On TV.

July 18, 2011, 9:01 p.m. CST

by BeMoreFunny

The things that make BB so good are usually really subtle, so it's easy to miss out on truly awesome moments. For instance, that last shot of Walt walking in front of his house to that great music after that night of utter carnage, was what Breaking Bad is all about. Great bad-ass moment, along the lines of the great 'Stay out of my territory' scene in Season 2.

I just dont get the vitriol against her. She one of the most grounded and moral characters on the show. Shes basically making the best of things. Not that shes perfect, but compared to Walt and Jesse and her boss and her sister and the lawyer and even hank, shes a goddam saint.
And i doubt the writers, laser-douches "buddies", are killing off characters because some find them annoying.
If this is how you haters think they should be going about things, might i suggest the Falcon Crest box set.

Its people like countryboy that make networks want to keep shows simplistic. He doesn't like "bedridden guy" because he wasn't spoonfed everything that led up to him being in that bed. The show has the guts to have character moments in a season premiere, when most shows (even many good ones) would be afraid that people would respond exactly like countryboy did. What do you want, pop-up video bubbles? If you want a stand-alone story, go watch something other than a single episode of a drama in its fourth season. No, its not an entry level episode. But shows that suffer from terminal "lets catch up the newbies" put a wedge between themselves and great long-term storytelling.

I didn't think the episode with Walt chasing the fly was good, but having almost the whole story in one room was good this time.
Victor's death was telegraphed, but still a surprise how it went down until the last second.
I don't think anything will happen to Jesse, because Walt's relationship with him is a very basic part of the show.
Skylar is a pain in the ass, but what do you expect? Her nice chemistry teacher husband turns into a drug lord. It's not like forgetting their anniversary.
The Hank storyline is the weakest part of the show.

He was so scared to take the new job after what he saw with the Tortuga, worried he wasn't gonna measure up, worried he was a pussy, and wanting to prove that he still had it (that fight he picked in the bar), to himself if no one else. It's a shame there's no one to actually point out that he went up against three of the craziest, most fucked up individuals you could ever have the misfortune of meeting and came out on top. Seriously, he's grade A badass all the way. I would think that realization would be more than impetus enough for him to get out of his funk and work his ass off to start walking again...

I am with you on virtually every point, and so glad you specifically point out that last scene. I thought I was the only one. It played out like some crazy meeting of Pulp Fiction and western; totally blew my mind.
As for the rest of the episode, I think you nailed it on the head. It was, first and foremost, setting up not only the stakes for the rest of the season, but the tone. It is most definitely about the transition of identity, or at least, how we react to those changes.
It reminded me a lot of Ep.10 of Game of Thrones. Pure fallout. Hank and Marie are still attemtping to reshape their lives around his shooting. The little bit of dialogue about his progress was beautiful; things have changed, and they can't be limited by what they used to be.

I've come in cold to a number of other shows mid-run, and even though I didn't know the story, it was so well-told I was hooked. The dialogue was great, the emotion surprising, there were powerful twists, good photography, etc. This show, to me, just wasn't told well enough. If anything, people like me should make the networks want to do better.

a lot of newbs tuning into the show this season, and not just here. Some, who aren't even complete newbs and claim to have watched the show before, have posed some puzzling questions about plot points that should not have eluded a regular viewer.
That BB can keep attracting new viewers in its third season is a good thing.
Unfortunately, I don't think Box Cutter is a good episode to serve as an indoctrination for new fans.
It's too focused on setting up the new parameters for the characters' relationships, and the coming season. Most of the time is spent in the lab, with only some brief scenes outside to provide some relief and keep it from being another bottle episode like The Fly.
It also contains some references to past episodes that will escape the notice of those who haven't seen them, but add value to those who have.
Without understanding the greater context of the show, its characters, and its method of storytelling, I can see how it could appear flat; it's apparent that even some vets feel that it might have been too predictable.
To get the best out of BB, one has to start from the beginning, not the middle. I know people who have done it that way, and love the show. And after that, if it still doesn't float your boat, that's fine, too.
But, let's try to refrain from letting the "X is a Y" declarations get out of hand and drag down the discussions like for Justified.

I got the reverse about Mike. He now knows he could never work for Walt.
The way Walt was babbling on about how vital he was as Victor was cooking a batch? The way Gus not only did what needed to be done with Victor but at the same time sent a message to Walt? It's about being a professional and assessing situations correctly. Gus is a pro. Mike is a pro. Gal was a pro. Victor not so much. Walt, *not a pro*. The bit at the Denny's at the end, scheming blindly.

I was wanting Walt to shut the hell up before he ever even started talking. I knew he was going to be a babbling - idiot? genius?
Whatever. He should have known when to hold em.
I was thinking that Gus was pissed enough that he was gonna kill a motherfucker, and it didn't really matter who. Maybe Walt's rambling helped his case, and maybe Gus had already worked out who he was gonna box cut, but Mike did look surprised.
My thinking: Mike was already working the angles, if Gale WAS dead, what was going to change w/ Gus's plans for Walt and Jesse. And Mike knows if Walt was smart enough to manipulate Gus, who Mike already has much respect for, well then I'm sure he has the foresight to see what the different outcomes of this situation would be. Mike is not going to be surprised by any situation he's going to be put into. He will have already worked out whatever move he needs to make to keep himself smelling like roses.

I love that Jonathan Banks has a great role in the best show on TV. Always nice to see character actors who've been banging around forever, doing solid work along the way, get something really good and rise to the occasion with yet another solid performance....

The way they are presented may be reasonable given their circumstances, but too much of their air time is spent whining. We simply don't see them when they are more likable as it would slow down the show.
Dexter suffered after rita's death but that wasn't really because she was gone, it was due to a bad show runner that took over.
I think BB would improve if Skylar was murdered because of Walt, but it would push him over the edge completely.

i liked rita a lot more than skylar. it seemed like even though rita had obviously been through a lot of shit, she still had a positive attitude which i think dexter wishes he could have but cant, which is what made their relationship so interesting. i still havent seen dexter season 5 and im really hoping its not as bad as everyone says it is.
skylar on the other hand, the first time i went through the series i didnt like her. but i think thats because the first time i was concentrating more on plot, and i was rooting for walt, so when skylar got in the way it was like wow fuck you skylar. the second time i was watching more for character since i already knew what was going to happen, and i started to realize a lot more that this is how a realistic wife would act.

Do you think it was a little telling that of everything Hank chooses to collect, it happens to be crystals; or is it just that he's arbitrarily focusing his attention on anything other than his current situation?
There've been a few suggestions that his new hobby is very deliberate (on his part, not the writer's), and he is still investigating the Heisenberg case. Like Gale said in the opening scene, even he was still trying to figure out the origins of it's blue-colour.

I think it's arbitrary right now. But who knows, maybe it figures into stuff? Maybe he collects these things and eventually asks himself, "Hmmm, why are blue crystals blue?"
And somehow that leads to Walt.

I took his interest in crystals to be based more in their alleged healing powers. i.e. he's looking for anything to help him walk again and he fixated on these crystals as a possible way to help. Which is to say, he's gone a little bit loopy. They are in New Mexico, afterall, there's a pretty strong new age contingent there that believes all the crystal stuff, so it's not much of a stretch. <p>
I hadn't really thought of it before, but I agree with obi-juan that it will lead to him beginning to consider crystals in the realm of crystal meth and get him re-interested in figuring out Heisenberg and his blue crystals.

I truly hate losing one of TV's most interesting and compelling character so quickly.
I think everyone's misreading the Gus killing. Walt is clearly pleading for his and/or Jesse's life. (love how he does it with all the scientific mumbo-jumbo in desperate tones). Walt wouldn't do that if he didn't think it would work or was necessary. Remember last season at the dinner, Gus really sees someone at his wavelength. Gus understands Walt, and Walt understands Gus. I really think Gus was going to kill Jesse, but Walt changed his mind, and Gus didn't want to look weak and he killed Victor.
I think Gus is more pissed that he couldn't outguess Walt's move. He's a grandmaster of planning, and Walt outtrumped him.

Or for that matter, best show on TV. And ill take it one step further and say Breaking Bad is the best series of all time. Every episode is treated with such ingenious care...writing, direction, tone. I would pay 11 dollars an episode to see in theaters if that were an option. Vince Gilligan...I bow to you sir. When you are thru with this series please do a feature film.